Broken Glass
by Spiral Flowers
Summary: Narcissa was always a sturdy, silent, and contained individual. But when she has to cope with her husband's trial after the war, who will come to her aide?


Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black, sat quietly in the ladies parlor of her manor. Their hadn't been any ladies in the room for a long while, or any person at all, in fact. Through the war, her home had only served as a form of barracks for the Dark Lord and his servants, and none had come to this room, as none deemed it interesting. Narcissa had never been the entertaining sort; so truly, the little enclave was more of a sanctum for the beautiful witch than anything else.

Back arched with an instinctual and natural poise, she quivered slightly on her white chaise lounge, legs curled underneath her. The war had only recently ended, and her home was still a mess. The house elves still hadn't gotten to this room, and one of the large, crystalline windows was shattered, leaving glass to litter the thick carpet, shining with beauty and a hidden menace, much like Madame Malfoy herself. Next to her, on a tiny reading table was a muggle machine of sorts, used for making music. Despite her heritage, Narcissa had never been in favor of the pureblooded cause with the fervor of her crazed sister, Bellatrix. She simply approved in order to avoid trouble. The little machine played quietly, singing into the quiet death of sunset.

Tears rolled slowly down her cheeks as she listened to the music. She had lost so much to this horrid war. So much. She had lost a cousin, a sister, and in a way, her son. Part of his soul was irrefutably gone forever, and she had lost her smiling, mischievous son into the brooding and silent shell that was now Draco Malfoy. And now, tomorrow, she might lose her husband.

More and more tears rolled as she thought of what she had lost from her own life. Her love, her sense of self, and so many bonds: all broken.

_When somebody loved me,  
everything was beautiful.  
Every hour we spent together,  
lives within my heart;_

The former Miss Black thought back to her childhood. Sunny days spent in the garden, learning etiquette with her sisters, reading with her mother, being coddled by her father. She remembered her beloved older sister, Andromeda, and playing dress up and dancing in the wee hours of the morning. Bellatrix had always been different, and was never one to socialize. She spent her time locked in her room, leaving Narcissa and Andromeda to themselves.

_And when she was sad,  
I was there to dry her tears,  
and when she was happy so was I.  
when she loved me…_

She remembered teenage crushes shared and protection given. Tears dried and laughter spilled… They had always had a strong sisterly bond, one that some said was utterly unbreakable.

_Through the summer and the fall,  
we had each other that was all.  
Just she and I together,  
like it was meant to be.  
And when she was lonely,  
I was there to comfort her,  
and I knew that she loved me._

Then, Andromeda had followed Bellatrix off to Hogwarts, and left the littlest Black all alone. At first, she'd written every day, but the letters grew less and less frequent over time. Narcissa was left to form new friends, until she went to Hogwarts herself, three years later.

_So the years went by,  
I stayed the same.  
But she began to drift away-  
I was left alone.  
Still I waited for the day  
when she'd say  
I will always love you._

Once there, she realized her sister had grown quite different. She'd noticed it little by little each summer, but now, it was different. Now, she saw her sister each day, hanging around muggle-borns and playing with muggle objects with a fascination that Narcissa had never seen before. And all too quickly, the two sisters began to avoid each other. In the summer after Narcissa's second year of school, Andromeda had been formally disowned, once she announced to the family that she was carrying on a romance with a muggle-born, despite her engagement to Rabastan Lestrange. After that, they stopped speaking entirely.

_Lonely and forgotten,  
never thought she'd look my way;  
and she smiled at me  
and held me,  
just like she used to do.  
Like she loved me,  
when she loved me._

They hadn't spoken for exactly twenty-three years, hadn't even seen each other until the trial. The war had ended, but it wasn't finished. Her husband had to be tried, and had pled guilty, so long as his wife was cleared of the misdemeanor charges held against her. Wizengemont had pronounced him guilty, and in the stands sat the Order of the Phoenix, and, oddly enough, her sister, cradling a baby that was once her daughter Nymphadora's. Strange enough, Narcissa managed to contain her mounting panic during the trial. When they brought in the dementor to administer the kiss, however, she couldn't. Without her son by her side (as he was being tried in a lesser court), she had no one to support her in her time of need. She let out a horrible cry, heart-wrenching to anyone who heard it, turning the heads of the Order members.

No one seemed to think the Malfoys had any feelings, but here was Narcissa Malfoy, screaming and sobbing, held by two Aurors so she couldn't race to the court floor. Her husband smiled at her for the last time, and the Dementor bent over him and sucked the very life out of him, leaving him blank and motionless on the floor before sweeping away.

The Aurors released her once the beast had left, and Narcissa quickly stumbled down the steps and tumbled to her knees next to her husband, forgetting all grace. She screamed and sobbed, shaking violently as the tears rolled down her cheeks and landed on her husband's expressionless face. Her shuddering arms pulled him close to her so she could sob into his hair, eyes clenched shut. The Order sat quietly, some pitying, some stunned, and some cruelly satisfied. But Andromeda Tonks, nee Black, quietly handed her grandson over to a stunned Molly Weasley, and tip-toed down the steps.

She stood behind her grieving sister, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, offering some greatly appreciated comfort. Narcissa turned her tear-streaked face up to her older sister and only sobbed louder. Andromeda knelt next to her, holding her sister close to her chest, cradling her blonde head.

"I know what it's like to lose all you have, 'Cissa," she whispered quietly. "I'm so sorry."

Narcissa turned around slowly, carefully placing her husband's head on the ground before doing so. She wrapped her big sister in a tight embrace, head whirling with childhood laughter, memories of golden sunshine, and swims in a dirty little creek on their summer property

"Oh Andy!" she sobbed, clutching her sister to her. "I've missed you so much!"

"I know, baby, I know," the older Black whispered soothingly, stroking her sister's hair ever so gently.

_When somebody loved me,  
everything was beautiful.  
Every hour we spent together,  
lives within my heart;_

_When she loved me...  
_

Song is When She Loved Me, by Sarah McLaughlin.

First HP fic, so please offer feedback and tell me if you think I should continue here.


End file.
